Keir Starmer hands peerage to former adviser who campaigned for paedophile as Tories demand investigation into PM's spin doctor

Mr Doyle, who served as Downing Street’s director of communications until March, is due to take a seat in the House of Lords early next year.

When Mr Doyle left No10, the PM described it as a “privilege” to have worked with him and that he had been “by my side every day".

However, it has now emerged Mr Doyle was nominated for a seat in the Upper Chamber even after inquiries were made into his support of a paedophile former Labour councillor.

Sean Morton, an ex-Labour representative in Moray, Scotland, was charged with possessing and distributing indecent images of children in December 2016.

He was immediately suspended by the party and later convicted of the offences.

Despite the charges, Mr Doyle campaigned for Morton when he ran in May 2017.

Mr Doyle was seen wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Re-elect Sean Morton” and accompanying him to the election count at Fochabers Lhanbryde ward, where Morton placed fifth.

Observers have described Mr Doyle’s support for Morton in 2017 as “shocking”.

They recalled how the pair posed for photographs together outside a Glasgow café and travelled to the United States to campaign for Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to The Sunday Times.

Addressing his relationship with the disgraced councillor, Mr Doyle said: “Sean Morton was maintaining his innocence at this time. I regret supporting him. Sean Morton was someone I knew for a period through other shared acquaintances. I have not seen him for years.”

Downing Street is understood to have been aware of the association, which was explicitly brought to the attention of Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir’s chief of staff, and Jill Cuthbertson, his deputy, leading to an internal inquiry.

A spokesman said: “Questions regarding Matthew Doyle’s past acquaintance with Sean Morton were thoroughly investigated, including through several interviews with Matthew Doyle, prior to his appointment (to the Lords).”

Officials stated, after careful consideration, Doyle’s past acquaintance did not represent a bar to receiving a peerage.

Mr Doyle previously served as Labour's head of press between 1998 and 2005, before working for Lord David Blunkett and Sir Tony Blair.

He later joined Sir Keir’s team as director of communications in May 2021, holding the role through a turbulent first year in Government, before leaving after nine months.

Connections to Sean Morton also led to the resignation of Pam Duncan-Glancy, Labour's shadow education secretary in the Scottish Parliament, earlier this month.

She admitted her “frequent contact” with her long-time school friend Morton until weeks ago, including reports of a birthday drinks invite, was a “serious lapse in professional judgment”.

Ms Duncan-Glancy confirmed she would not be seeking re-election as an MSP.

Meanwhile, the PM's current director of communications, Mr Allan, is facing calls for a probe into his financial interests by Conservatives.

Mr Allan owns shares in Strand Partners, a lobbying firm representing major clients.

Alex Burghart, the shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has demanded an inquiry into Mr Allan’s stake.

“Allowing one of the most senior special advisers to retain shareholdings in a lobbying shop does not seem consistent with the Nolan principles on standards in public life,” he said.

Mr Burghart claimed even if Mr Allan waived dividends and renounced decision-making rights while in office, he “would still profit in the long run… if the company performed well and increased its value".

He added: “I believe a targeted, thematic review into shareholdings in lobbyists would help restore public confidence. This is a test case for the new Ethics and Integrity Commission, and whether it has the teeth to uphold the highest standards in public life.”

Government officials insisted there was no conflict of interest.

A Cabinet Office spokesman told The Sunday Telegraph: “There is a rigorous process to capture any potential conflicts of interest, and ensure appropriate mitigations are in place to reflect specific circumstances.

“Ahead of his appointment, Tim Allan fully complied with this process.

“This is set out in the Special Adviser Code of Conduct and lists of special adviser interests are published annually."

The Ethics and Integrity Commission, a new watchdog set up by Sir Keir to uphold standards in public life, cannot investigate individuals but can begin inquiries into whether rules relating to officials’ financial activities are fit for purpose.

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